Author | Lightnews

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 1d

Omg, this detail from CNN about the ICE hiring snafu is wild. This seems like an HR 101 level thing to get right.

They turned a hiring bonus into something much closer to an application bonus.

Seems like a great way to burn a ton of cash. Also? Here’s some waste for sure!

The signing bonus also prompted discussions internally because it’s not contingent on a key part of the hiring process, which is passing the academy, another source said. Even candidates who don’t pass the academy and are slotted for administrative jobs are still pocketing thousands of dollars.

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Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · 12h

Just for the record, in 2020:
- Wray was the FBI director Trump handpicked to replace Comey
- Jack Smith was in the Hague prosecuting Kosovo war crimes
- Garland was an appeals court judge
- Monaco was in private practice in LA

There was no Biden administration yet, crooked or otherwise.

He crazy.

Donald J. Trump +
@realDonald Trump
Just in: Documents show conclusively that Christopher Wray, Deranged Jack Smith, Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, and other crooked lowlifes from the failed Biden Administration, signed off on Operation Arctic Frost. They spied on Senators and Congressmen/women, and even taped their calls. They cheated and rigged the
2020 Presidential Election. These Radical Left Lunatics should be prosecuted for their illegal and highly unethical behavior!
2.73k ReTruths 7.67k Likes
10/24/25, 22:11

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Melissa Jo Peltier @melissjpeltier.bsky.social · 18h

So Stephen Miller - NOT SCOTUS - is now handing out Federal Immunity cards?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

Stephen Miller on Fox threatens to arrest JB Pritzker for "seditious conspiracy" and says, "to all ICE officers: you have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties. And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop or obstruct you is committing a felony."

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Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 17h

The U.S. military spends about $7.5 billion total on paychecks for service members every two weeks.

The supposed $130 million the Trump admin claims was anonymously donated for military pay would cover about two percent of that.

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Alt US Coast Guard @altcoast.altgov.info · 17h

I keep asking myself... am I too sensitive to it, or do they just keep doing things that are blatantly illegal? I'm thinking it's the latter...

CNN @cnn.com · 1d

The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster. https://cnn.it/4oDFP9W

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Yoshiko Herrera @yoshikoherrera.bsky.social · 20h

Exactly what I was thinking. And obviously the technology and potential for spying has only been ramped up since then, and especially when you look at the donor list and who’s involved in this construction project

Zach Dorfman @zachsdorfman.bsky.social · 1d

By the way, if you think I’m overstating things, the U.S. once had to tear down the entire embassy chancery in Moscow, and rebuild it (for a cool quarter-billion or so) because the place was bugged to hell.

Zach Dorfman @zachsdorfman.bsky.social · 1d

Listen: covert supply chain intervention concerns regarding implantation of listening devices in, say, new buildings in US military bases in Guam are considered really serious. And this is the WHITE HOUSE. Has there been vetting of vendors? Contractors and subcontractors? All labor? We don’t know!

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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 20h

If a temporary resident of the White House can totally demolish the East Wing to build a gaudy ballroom, without any authority, approval, or regulation, he can tear down the rest of the White House to build a Walmart. That this destruction is allowed underscores how off the rails our country is now.

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Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 21h

The US hit an all-time high $38 trillion in national debt, thanks to Donald trump.

This marks a +$500 Billion jump in October, or +$23 billion per day, again, thanks to Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is bad for the economy, business, and your pocket. Support MAGA, lose money.

US National Debt Chart, shows green line pointing to 38 trillion in debt

Orange ape infront of plastic painted Gold, holding AI image of a French hall.

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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 20h

Guess who Hegseth's Pentagon awards its biggest drone contract to....? Naturally one in which Don Trump Jr has a stake and sits on its board. Every goddam conflict of interest law is being vandalised daily by Trump's administration. www.ft.com/content/4ced...

Trump Jr-linked drone company wins Pentagon contract

Unusual Machines secures deal as US military accelerates domestic production of unmanned aircraft

www.ft.com

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 21h

The company brought Junior in right after the election as part owner. They just won the largest drone motor contract awarded by the Pentagon.

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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 20h

I don’t need to explain why it’s wildly unacceptable for the military to be illegally privately financed by the president’s wealthy allies, right?

Adam Cancryn @adamcancryn.bsky.social · 21h

New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.

Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...

Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members | CNN Politics

The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Dep...

www.cnn.com

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Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 20h

What?! The Saudis? Someone who needs a big favor from Trump? That's not how anything works!! Is there literally nobody in this administration who knows (or cares) about national security? Or blatant corruption?

Adam Cancryn @adamcancryn.bsky.social · 21h

New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.

Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...

Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members | CNN Politics

The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Dep...

www.cnn.com

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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 1d

Nice behind-the-scenes account of how the Washpost confirmed its scoop about Trump's demolition of the East Wing.

Via @ddiamond.bsky.social

dandiamond.substack.com/p/our-week-o...

The first tip was hard to believe.

It was Monday morning. I was in our team meeting.

And Jonathan Edwards, my colleague who’s spent months covering President Trump’s planned White House ballroom, had a source telling him something so incredible, it seemed maybe … not-credible.

A wrecking crew is tearing down the White House’s East Wing, the source said. Right now. Here’s a photo to prove it.

Of course, we live in a world of hoaxes and easily faked photos. Was this real, or AI? Why hadn’t the White House said anything? And hadn’t Trump assured the public that he wouldn’t touch the East Wing to build his ballroom?

As we know now, the tip was real. I got a second source who quickly confirmed it and offered some color. We did some more reporting. We sent questions to the White House and strategized how to see around the fences that were blocking the construction from public view.

And then we pushed out our story that afternoon. Within minutes, it was national news — the image spoke for itself — as Americans across the country processed the biggest changes to the “People’s House” in generation

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Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 1d

The only part of this deal that Trump cares about is CNN. He wants another (overtly) right-wing billionaire there to turn it into Fox News 2.

Eric Deggans @edeggans.bsky.social · 1d

Wow. I remember a time when conservatives were bitterly opposed to a federal government which picked winners and losers in the free markets. Guess it all hits different when people from your team are doing the picking. https://loom.ly/gpD007c

Exclusive | Trump admin likes Paramount Skydance in race to buy Warner Bros. Discovery: ‘points to the Ellisons’

WBD CEO David Zaslav, meanwhile, believes he can make a case to the Trump administration that they should allow deals outside of Paramount Skydance, appealing to free market types in the administra…

nypost.com

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

"Tearing down the White House and replacing it with a facsimile of Mar-a-Lago isn’t any less appalling because Trump cajoled companies into paying for it. Indeed, it might be worse. Funding a pet project via the coercion of private donors creates a closed loop and complete lack of accountability."

King Trump turns US Treasury into his personal piggy bank

He thinks our money is his.

www.publicnotice.co

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 1d

The New York Times publishes a handy guide to which federal forces are terrorizing us at any moment. This is America, 2025.

“Making Sense of the Federal Forces on the Streets,” with photos of how they’re uniformed and equipped

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 1d

Somehow importing diseased beef from Argentina instead of buying from our farmers, both “Makes America Great Again,” and “Makes America Healthy Again.”

Reporters needs to ask Republicans to explain how.

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Jean Pocket @jeanpocket.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you East Corridor for the wonderful years of decency. 🇺🇸

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 1d

Odds are this aggressively did not happen. But it would of course be just as unconstitutional to spend money donated to the government without a duly enacted appropriation as it is to spend tax money that way.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "By the way, a friend of mine called us the other day and he said 'I'd like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown. I'd like to contribute any shortfall you have with the military.' Today, he sent us a check for $130 million. It's gonna go the military."

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Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, I misspoke on the rose part. It's called the Jacquie Kennedy Garden, a matching space on the other side of the rose garden he paved over.

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Jay Willis @jaywillis.net · 1d

Trump's (probably correct) belief that his Justice Department will give him a quarter-billion dollars in public resources is the product of a Justice Department controlled by Trump loyalists who understand their jobs to be "using the law to do whatever the boss wants"

Why Trump Expects the Justice Department to Cut Him a Quarter-Billion-Dollar Check

What Trump’s Justice Department loyalists understand is that the law is a tool they can manipulate to give their boss what he wants.

ballsandstrikes.org

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Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1d

Already updated in Wiki:

"The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was located at the White House south of the East Colonnade. The garden balances the Rose Garden on the west side of the White House. It was demolished on October 23, 2025 to make way for President Donald Trump's ballroom."

Jacqueline Kennedy Garden - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 1d

New satellite images show the scale of demolition that has occurred on the East Wing of the White House in less than a month.

October planet imagery showing the east wing demolished

September planet imagery showing the east wing before work took place

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Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1d

It's not just the East Wing. It's the entire colonnade between them also. And just bulldozed over the Kennedy Rose Garden too. It's all gone, nothing left.

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Happy Flapjack @happyflapjack.bsky.social · 1d

Yesterday it was just the East Wing. Today he's demolished the colonnade between it and the White House, just nothing left. He's also bulldozed the Jacquie Kennedy's Rose Garden. No approval, no transparency, just lawless. All the trees removed, the gardens. It's beyond shocking. I'm just gutted.

Overhead view of the White House grounds with East Wing outlined.

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